An Ordinance amending and supplementing the Allegheny County Code of Ordinances, through the creation of a new Chapter 285 entitled “Electronic Mail Retention” for the purpose of establishing a County-wide policy for the schedule and retention of email records by County employees and officials.
WHEREAS, members of the General Assembly have raised the issue of establishing a minimum email retention period of two years throughout state government; and
WHEREAS, the laws of the Commonwealth regarding record retention are not clear as to the length of retention for electronic messages created in the course of conducting government business; and
WHEREAS, in this “electronic age” in which a large portion of business is conducted electronically and electronic records, including emails, are subject to Right-To-Know requests and discovery in legal actions; and
WHEREAS, the County of Allegheny is subject to litigation and receives requests for information from the public pursuant to Pennsylvania’s Right-To-Know law which may properly include electronic correspondence by elected officials or government employees; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the County to have a uniform policy governing email retention so that all officials and employees can understand their duties and to promote an open and consistent operation of County government; and
WHEREAS, it is therefore the desire of Council to follow the concern raised by state representatives regarding a lack of clarity regarding such a pervasive and important form of record and to create a policy which is reflective of open and consistent government on all levels;
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Incorporation of Preamble.
The provisions set forth in the Preamble to this Ordinance are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
Section 2. Amendment of the Code.
The Allegheny County Code of Ordinances is amended and supplemented with the addition of a new...
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